The Uetliberg is a balcony facing the Alps, and Zurich is the best-connected starting point for visiting them. Swiss trains make even the high peaks possible as day trips, and guided coach tours take the planning off your hands.
The easiest outing is the Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen, about 150 metres wide and 23 metres high — the most powerful waterfall in Europe. The classic mountain days go via Lucerne: Rigi, the gentle “Queen of the Mountains”; Pilatus, with the world’s steepest cogwheel railway; and Titlis, with its glacier and revolving cable car. The grandest and longest is the Jungfraujoch, the railway station at 3,454 metres in the Bernese Oberland.
Top things to do: Rhine Falls & Alpine Day Trips
Rhine Falls: the half-day trip
Trains reach the falls in under an hour from Zürich HB. Viewing platforms at Laufen Castle bring you within arm’s reach of the water, and in the warmer months boats cross the basin to the rock in the middle. Guided coach tours do it in about four hours.
Rigi or Pilatus: the classic day
Both combine a lake boat with a mountain railway and are reached via Lucerne, under an hour from Zurich by train. Rigi is gentler and largely covered by the Swiss Travel Pass; Pilatus is more dramatic.
Titlis: snow all year
From Engelberg, cable cars — the last one revolving — climb to over 3,000 metres, with a glacier cave and a suspension bridge at the top.
Jungfraujoch: the Top of Europe
A very long day from Zurich, and an expensive one, but the view over the Aletsch Glacier is in a class of its own. Go only on a clear forecast.
Getting there: Rhine Falls & Alpine Day Trips
- By train: everything starts from Zürich HB. Use the SBB app for timetables and tickets; look out for Saver Day Passes and discounted Supersaver tickets.
- On a guided tour: coach tours with tickets included leave from the bus station next to the main station — convenient if you prefer not to change trains.
- With passes: the Swiss Travel Pass covers the trains and boats and gives free or discounted mountain railways; conditions differ for each mountain.
Insider tips
- Use the Uetliberg as your weather check: if you can see the Alps clearly from the tower in the morning, it is a good day for a high mountain.
- Mountain tickets are expensive. With several trips planned, a Half Fare Card or a Swiss Travel Pass usually pays for itself.
- Book Jungfraujoch seat reservations and guided tours ahead in summer.
- It is below freezing on Titlis and the Jungfraujoch even in August — bring warm clothes and sunglasses.
Best tours & tickets for Rhine Falls & Alpine Day Trips
These top-rated experiences pair well with a visit to Rhine Falls & Alpine Day Trips:
Coach tour from €47 From Zurich: Rhine Falls Guided Tour with Entry Tickets
A half-day coach trip to the Rhine Falls with a guide and admission included. Because it only takes four hours, it combines well with a sunset trip up the Uetliberg on the same day.
- Europe’s most powerful waterfall, about an hour north of Zurich
- Entry to the viewing platforms at Laufen Castle
- Optional boat ride in season (extra charge)
Coach + mountain railway from €284 From Zurich: Day Trip to Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe
The classic big Alpine day out from Zurich, rated 4.8 from more than 2,500 reviews. It is long and not cheap, but it takes you from the city to a glacier world and back in a day.
- Coach through the Bernese Oberland
- Mountain railway to Europe’s highest railway station at 3,454 m
- Views of the Aletsch Glacier and the Ice Palace
Coach, boat & mountain railway from €145 From Zurich: Day Trip to Rigi and Lake Lucerne
A full day combining Lucerne, a lake cruise and the ride up Mount Rigi. It is a gentler, greener alternative to the glacier peaks and one of the mountains you can pick out from the Uetliberg tower on a clear day.
- Time in Lucerne’s old town
- Boat on Lake Lucerne
- Mountain railway up the Rigi, the “Queen of the Mountains”
